Corporate health programs are no longer a perk, they are a necessity. Carefully placed investments in talent have consistently shown increases in employee engagement, retention and tighter cost containment.

Your competitive advantage demands that you get the most out of your people – what are you doing to invest in the health of your top talent?

Why you need to adopt a corporate health program this year:

1. Increased productivity

The primary goal of a Corporate Health or Employee Wellness Program is to help your employees lead healthier lives at and away from the workplace. Improved productivity, increased concentration and heightened energy have all been shown, time and again, to be directly tied to healthier staff. A recent Canadian medical study showed that employee wellness programs increase employee productivity by 51%.

2. Attraction & retention of top talent

Corporate Health and Wellness programs are an effective tool for attracting and retaining top talent. In fact, 61% of 30-year-old Canadians believe their employer has an obligation to assist them in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Companies that do not offer them will quickly be left behind.

3. Improved employee engagement and fulfilment

The results are clear: healthier employees are happier, work harder, help their teammates and are more efficient. According to a Canadian study, employee wellness leads to an impressive 70% increase in employee engagement and job satisfaction. This is a result of comprehensive programs that go beyond basic healthcare needs to address disease prevention, nutrition, fitness, psychological wellbeing and even brain health.

4. Increased employee loyalty

Great employees are hard to find and when you’ve got them, you don’t want to lose them. Corporate health programs drive loyalty by showing that companies care about their teams. Studies have shown that employee loyalty is closely correlated with cost containment linked to recruitment, training and employee turnover.

5. Contained healthcare costs

While it is difficult to quantify the benefits of increasing morale, productivity and work performance, the financial impact of decreased sick leave, absenteeism and lower health insurance premiums are easy to see. A Canadian study recently showed that the implementation of an employee wellness program decreased disability costs by 36% and drug benefit costs by 27%.

Nothing drives productivity like happy, healthy employees. Your key people, just like other company assets, are either appreciating or depreciating. A comprehensive health and wellness program helps you mitigate talent risk and place investments where they can drive maximum returns.

If you’re not investing in the health of your top talent you are jeopardizing your greatest asset.